Is Black Myth: Wukong a Soulslike?

Highlights

Black Myth: Wukong‘s combat is fast-paced & requires frequent dodges and attacks, unlike traditional Soulslike games.
Black Myth: Wukong’s progression is less punishing, as players can retain their experience and skill points after dying.
Black Myth: Wukong’s boss fights are extremely difficult, and enemies respawn when players rest at Keeper’s Shrines.

As someone who has spent countless hours honing my skills in the dark and unforgiving worlds of Soulslike games, I must admit that Black Myth: Wukong has piqued my interest with its unique blend of fast-paced combat and challenging boss fights. While it may not fit neatly into the Soulslike category by all accounts, it certainly gives me a run for my money in terms of sheer difficulty.

Recently, the term “Soulslike” has been used frequently, sometimes excessively, as more games adopt aspects of FromSoftware’s distinctive style without fully embracing it. However, a game needs to meet certain, very particular criteria to be genuinely classified as a Soulslike, so it’s not as widespread as it appears. Black Myth: Wukong is the latest game to be labeled as a Soulslike by many observers, but it remains to be seen if it has all the necessary qualities to justify that title.

Because games that resemble the Soulslike sub-genre within the action RPG category can sometimes be hard to tell apart, it’s interesting to analyze what elements of Black Myth: Wukong make it more of an action RPG and which ones might classify it as a genuine Soulslike game. Given that it’s labeled as an action RPG but often compared to the Soulslike genre, this investigation is worthwhile.

Black Myth: Wukong’s Action RPG Features

Black Myth: Wukong’s Combat Is Fast-Paced and Frantic

From a brief glance at the gameplay of Black Myth: Wukong, it’s clear that the combat is fast-paced and requires constant dodging and frequent attacks for success. Unlike many traditional Soulslike games, this speed isn’t common, instead favoring a more patient, strategic approach to conserve the player’s stamina and avoid being left vulnerable. While the Destined One can run out of stamina in Black Myth: Wukong, it rarely incapacitates him for long and recharges quickly.

Black Myth: Wukong’s Progression Is Casual in Comparison to a Traditional Soulslike

In Black Myth: Wukong, one of its unique features contrasting with Soulslike games is that players can keep their earned experience and skill points even after death, unlike in other games where losing experience twice without retrieval results in permanent loss. However, any medicine used before dying will be permanently forfeited, making the use of scarce medicine questionable at times.

Black Myth: Wukong’s Soulslike Features

Black Myth: Wukong’s Bosses Can Be Absurdly Difficult

For gamers considering a jump into the world of Black Myth: Wukong, expecting an equivalent difficulty level to that of God of War, they might want to reconsider. The challenges in Black Myth: Wukong are particularly steep, earning it the nickname of a Soulslike game. In truth, some of the boss fights in Black Myth: Wukong can be downright challenging, with enemies possessing an extensive arsenal of skills and attack patterns that make learning to beat them a considerably steeper climb.

Keeper’s Shrines in Black Myth: Wukong Respawn Enemies in the World

In the game Black Myth: Wukong, one characteristic that often places it in the same category as Soulslike games is its enemy respawn system. Similar to other authentic Soulslike titles, when players choose to recharge their health at a Keeper’s Shrine within Black Myth: Wukong, all the enemies across the game world will regenerate. This emphasizes the importance of careful planning when deciding to take breaks.

In essence, while Black Myph: Wukong shares many traits reminiscent of the Soulslike genre, at its core, it’s an action RPG. The Soulslike genre follows a rigid set of guidelines, and deviating from these rules could potentially disqualify a game from being rightfully categorized as such. However, given that Black Myph: Wukong provides the same level of challenge as a typical Soulslike game, it’s understandable why some might associate it with the genre.

2024-08-21 21:13